The Ultra Minute: OD100? More Like OG100
Simpson and Richman storm to redemption in Virginia at the longest running 100-miler in the US—plus more from this week in trail & ultra
Issue 43
Old Dominion Redemption for Two
As the trail world turns its full attention toward Western States, the most iconic 100-mile race in the U.S., and just weeks away, another historic 100 quietly unfolded this past weekend in the woods of Virginia.
There were no golden tickets. No livestreams. No sponsor-branded arch. Just an early morning start behind a police escort, 100 humid miles on horse trails and backcountry roads, and a finishing line that looked a lot like it did 40 years ago.
The Old Dominion 100, now in its 47th year, is one of the oldest 100-milers in the country—and, according to ultra historian Davy Crockett, the oldest one still held at the full 100-mile distance (Western States, he notes, was only 89 miles long when Old Dominion began in 1979). It leans proudly into its old-school roots: weigh-ins, handwritten splits, pack mules hauling aid station supplies. OD100 isn’t about spectacle. As noted in the race Redbook, a guide and historical record of the event, it’s about showing up, digging deep, and seeing what’s left in the tank after a long day in the Virginia heat.
This year, Andrew Simpson and Whitney Richman each came back to settle a score and ran two of the fastest times the course has ever seen.
Simpson, 37, won the men’s race in 15:33:55, the third-fastest time in race history, and faster than John Kelly’s winning time from last year (15:44:49). It was a full-circle moment after a wrong turn cost him the win last year. “I wasn’t even proud I finished,” he wrote in this year’s race recap on his blog, reflecting on last year’s race. “I felt pretty broken by it.”
A handwritten note from co-race director, Wynne Waldron, inviting him back changed that. This year, Simpson returned with a spreadsheet of splits and a quiet fire.
He ran solo from the start and hit a low point at Mile 87, nearly in tears, convinced his goal time was slipping away. But he left that aid station reborn, charging the gravel backroads with purpose, dumping 640 calories into his system and hammering low-8-minute miles to the finish. “It was a euphoric feeling,” he wrote on his blog. “And then I threw up on the lawn of our rental house.”
Simpson works full-time, has two kids, and gets in 100+ mile training weeks through early morning runs. He’s a self-described unsponsored East Coaster who loves both big races and community-rooted classics like this one. And this time, everything clicked.
On the women’s side, Whitney Richman, mom of two, ran 18:39:22 (three hours faster than last year’s attempt), when she got lost and added four miles. Her time was good for third overall and the second-fastest women’s finish in race history. She had no idea how close she came to the 1997 course record until the awards breakfast the next morning.
“I truly enjoyed every minute of the day,” she wrote on Instagram. “OK, well—not Peach Orchard.” Her kids crewed her, making sure she had plenty of gummy bears and bug spray. Her race plan? “Do what I could with what my body gave me.” It worked.
Old Dominion may not draw the headlines of Western States. But maybe that’s the point. It’s never tried to be anything else. And that’s exactly why it still matters.
More from Old Dominion
Andrew Simpson keeps a blog, Running Padawan, where he writes thoughtful, detailed posts about his training and racing. Here are a few I referenced while writing this piece: his 2025 Old Dominion recap, a reflection on balance and motivation, and his raw 2024 OD100 race report after going off course.
, who finished 4th woman, posted a great recap of her OD100 experience on her Substack.
If you want to learn more about the race, check out The Redbook, which provides a detailed history of the race.
Last week, Roots Running host Sean Cate surfaced a wild stat: Eric Clifton’s 15:10:00 course record at Old Dominion has stood for 33 years. I understand the course has changed some since then, but I’m not sure how much.
Additional Results
Gerda Steyn and Tete Dijana claimed repeat victories at this year’s Comrades Marathon in South Africa. Steyn ran 5:51:19 for her third straight title and fourth overall, just seven minutes off her own course record. Dijana bounced back from a disappointing 2024 (14th) to win his third Comrades in 5:25:28. American Courtney Olsen finished 9th in 6:17:48. Shelmith Muriuki made history as the first Black woman to podium at Comrades, placing third.
Courtney Coppinger and Tyler McCandless took top honors in the 10K Spring Runoff at the Vail Mountain Games, each earning $2,500. Coppinger outkicked Dani Moreno in the final mile to win in 50:00, while McCandless ran 41:50 to beat a deep men’s field. Later that afternoon, Coppinger came back to win Pepi’s Face-off, a brutal ski-slope sprint, bringing her total haul for the day to $4,500. Joseph Gray won the men’s event with six laps in 30:24. In the 20K Trail Run, Jane Maus dominated the women’s race by over five minutes, finishing in 1:46:52, while Mason Coppi led the men in 1:26:55. All podium finishers across the three events are now eyeing Broken Arrow later this month.
Thaddeus Labrum and Dalton McCurdy won the Scout Mountain 100 in Idaho’s Bannock Range, finishing in 21:32 and 25:23 on a course with 22,000 feet of climbing. Karl Meltzer was also there, placing sixth, and iRunFar Editor-in-Chief Meghan Hicks completed her first 100-miler in three years, calling it “everything I hoped it would be, and so much more.” Ben Bruno earned a Bear Tag with his win in the 50 miler (9:22), alongside women’s champ Sarah Clark (10:31). In the 50k, Rachel Lemke and Cody Lind took top honors in 6:50 and 5:32. More Bear Tags are up for grabs this weekend at Twisted Fork 68k and Snow Peaks 50.
Audrey MacLean, a 19-year-old Middlebury student, won the 114th Dipsea Race in 46:28 adjusted time, earning both the overall and women’s fastest time honors on the iconic 7.4-mile handicapped course from Mill Valley to Stinson Beach. Freetrail added helpful color in their latest Rest Day episode, also noting Katie Schide, Hillary Gerardi, and Jeff Colt all attended Middlebury as well. Should we dial up Andy Wacker and get The Trail Team ready?
Hilary Yang, fan-favorite Cocodona field reporter, finished second in the Malibu Canyon 50 Mile, using it as a tune-up for Hardrock 100. Kayla Martin and Michael Tomchaney took the 50M wins, while Daisy Zepedea and Cory Fleming won the 100K in 12:25 and 10:10. Shae Regan took the 50K overall in 4:48.
Laurel Moyer edged Jamie Brusa by one second to win the Cirque Series opener at Cannon Mountain, New Hampshire, while Remi Leroux took the men’s race in 55:11.
Mario Mendoza finished second at Oregon’s McKenzie River Trail Run 50K in 3:44:02, continuing his farewell tour in scorching conditions. Caroline Alcorta took the overall women’s win and placed third overall in 3:52:04.
Mead Binhammer and Haley Heinrich took the wins at Aravaipa’s Chocorua Mountain Race 23K, clocking 2:30:07 and 2:58:19, part of the White Mountain Endurance Cup.
Mike Wardian ran 350+ loops around the Washington Monument to complete a self-created “micro ultra” 50K in 3:42:40 (7:02/mi pace).
Claudia Tremps and Pablo Villa (both Spain) won the 120K at Mozart by UTMB in Salzburg, finishing in 13:46 and 11:36.
EmKay Sullivan, 20 weeks pregnant, finished second at the Silver State Half Marathon.
News & Links
The outdoor community is sounding the alarm after the Senate unveiled a budget proposal that would require the sale of more than 3 million acres of public land. The bill, described by Outdoor Alliance as “the gravest threat to public lands we’ve ever seen,” also guts clean energy investments and opens vast stretches of BLM and Forest Service land to oil, gas, and timber development, with reduced environmental review. As
noted in his newsletter, the bill could set a dangerous precedent for fast-tracking land sales under the guise of budget reconciliation—with no price tags even listed for the millions of acres at stake.Anna Gibson, who we featured last week after winning the USATF Mountain Running Championship, urged her followers to speak up: “This is alarming, to say the least.” Both Protect Our Winters and Outdoor Alliance have created tools to help you contact your Senators. The bill could move forward before the July 4 recess.
A new twist in the Michelino Sunseri case, which we’ve been following since last October: according to emails obtained by photographer Connor Burkesmith via FOIA and reported by Jackson Hole News & Guide, the National Park Service tried to withdraw its prosecution referral one day before trial—calling the charges “overcriminalization based on the gravity of the offense.” DOJ prosecutors ignored the request and proceeded anyway. Sunseri’s defense team now argues that the prosecution failed to disclose potentially exculpatory evidence. He’s also retained the Pacific Legal Foundation and tied the case to broader federal regulatory reform efforts. No ruling yet from the judge.
UTMB announced a new environmental initiative this week, aiming to cut emissions by 20% by 2030 and incentivize low-carbon travel. New measures include a boosted lottery in 2026 for runners who travel sustainably and mandatory carbon offset contributions. The move builds on existing efforts like bib caps, shuttle systems, and plastic-free aid stations. Still, many questioned the contradiction between these goals and the Running Stones model that encourages international travel. The PTRA, represented by Hillary Gerardi at the press conference, expressed cautious support.
Shea Aquilano, 24, has signed with Nike. She announced the deal on Instagram this week, reflecting on her nontraditional path into the sport—she didn’t run high school track or NCAA cross-country, and found trail running “by accident.” Since then, Aquilano has been on a tear: she placed 6th won Gorge Waterfalls 100K in April (earning a spot on Team USA for this fall’s World Championships), placed 6th at Black Canyon, and competed at last year’s World Mountain & Trail Champs in Austria. Now she’s set to run her first Western States later this month. Aquilano is repped by Kelly Newlon of Rad Boulder and credits The Trail Team, a grassroots initiative supporting rising pros, as a key launchpad.
Jiasheng Shen is out of Western States. The Chinese ultrarunner withdrew after spraining his ankle in a recent training run. Shen, who placed 4th in 2023 and 8th last year, said on Instagram that he was feeling confident and fit but “a little bit unlucky.” He joins a growing list of top contenders sidelined ahead of race day including Jim Walmsley, Hayden Hawks, and Jon Rea.
Ultrarunning Magazine published a detailed look into how top Western States contenders like Rod Farvard, Shea Aquilano, and Jeff Mogavero are preparing for the big day, and what regular runners can learn from their training. The takeaway? The principles are the same: consistency, specificity, progression. The difference is how precisely they’re applied. Meanwhile, COROS just dropped a deep dive into Kilian Jornet’s training data ahead of his Western States return.
Another top pick at Western States, Caleb Olson dropped a pair of new Substack posts. In The Tune Up, he talks about racing low-pressure local races as supported long runs to prep for big goals, including this weekend’s Twisted Fork 30K. In Long Term Perspective, he reflects on measuring success not by wins, but by longevity: “I wouldn’t sacrifice long term health and happiness for a win at any race right now.” I find that perspective interesting, especially given the attrition rate at the top of the men’s field before we’ve even made it to the start this year.
Freetrail dropped their full “Trailgating” schedule for BAWS Week (pronounced “Boss,” and short for Broken Arrow + Western States.. it works right?), including daily livestreams from June 19–26 and in-person events during TrailCon in Olympic Valley.
We’re midway through John Kelly’s Appalachian Trail FKT attempt, as he approaches Pennsylvania at time of writing, and this pacing report from Will Paxton, shared by Roots Running podcast host Sean Cate on Substack, offers a rare glimpse into the effort. After a brutal climbing day (up Three Ridges in Virginia I think), Kelly surprised his crew by skipping a planned stop and charging straight into the next 14-mile section. “The first thing he said to me (and one of the only things he said) was, ‘Do you have my nerd clusters?’”
On the West Coast, Nick Fowler is one week (457 miles) into his overall PCT FKT attempt and averaging 65 miles per day. He’s ahead of record pace with just 250 desert miles left before entering the Sierra. For more updates, follow crew members Josh Perry and Jeff Garmire on Instagram.
Last week we wrote about Matthieu Bonne’s 48-hour world record. Since then, he posted on Instagram sharing a brief writeup about the effort. Bonne covered 485.099 km (just over 301 miles), becoming the first person to break the 300-mile barrier. He ran nearly 274 km in the first 24 hours, then managed the second half on 6-minute breathers every few hours and sheer willpower. “In my opinion, a real ultramarathon starts once you exceed 24 hours,” he wrote. “That’s where the true skill and art of ultra running comes into play.”
Ethan Newberry just won an Emmy. The Ginger Runner took home a regional Emmy for The High Route, his documentary following Kaytlyn Gerbin and Jenny Abegg on a rugged traverse through the North Cascades. “We can all learn how to be better humans by following your lead,” Newberry wrote on Instagram.
Speaking of films, Hyperlyte Liquid Performance, who sponsors Hans Troyer, has been teasing a film about Hans titled, “The Kid.” Last week we incorrectly stated it would premiere June 9th. Turns out, it’s tomorrow (the 14th) and will be published on HLP’s YouTube channel.
Quindío by UTMB is off. The Colombia-based race won’t happen this August as planned, with organizers citing logistical challenges. No future edition is currently planned.
Podcast & YouTube Highlights
Rachel Entrekin joined Women of Distance for a great post-Cocodona conversation. She talks about missing the cut for high school XC, how she found ultras, and why solo long efforts are her happy place. It’s honest, grounded, and full of gems from the newly crowned Queen of Cocodona. It was fascinating hearing about how she iterated her way to success and longer and longer distances, learning at each step along the way.
Take Off Your Shoes sat down with Tabor and Eli Hemming for an open, moving conversation about life beyond the trails. They talk identity, community, caretaking, and the reminder that you never know when it’s the last time you’ll get to do something with someone.
Skin in the Game, a new doc on Jeff Browning’s Colorado Trail FKT which we wrote about last August, just dropped on YouTube yesterday. I haven’t watched it yet but intend to this weekend.
Speaking of FKTs, Threshold of Pain, the latest episode in John Kelly’s Appalachian Trail FKT series, follows his push past 1,000 miles and gives good insight into how he’s progressing up the trail.
That’s it for this week! This weekend I’ll have my eye on Twisted Fork, and hope to get an easy trail run in—my first since hurting my back three weeks ago.
See y’all next week,
Ken
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Old Dominion has stayed relevant because it’s part of the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning (along with Western States, Vermont, Leadville, Wasatch). The grand slam used to be more of a thing. I wonder if anyone running OD was going for the slam?
Phil Sanderson was there for his 7th grand slam! I think there were 4 total runners going for it this year.